


Livre De Le Morte

by Grelle



Category: Creepypasta - Fandom
Genre: Abuse, Gay, M/M, Revenge, Romance, Self Harm, Slow Burn, Survival, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-17
Updated: 2019-11-07
Packaged: 2020-10-20 05:53:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20670398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Grelle/pseuds/Grelle
Summary: An all original rewritten version of a previous story.Martin has just moved to the small, seemingly quiet town of Rosswood Washington. The place seems to be on the verge of being engulfed in trees, the people are far from friendly, and his only friend seems to be an undead guy hanging out in the local cemetery. He's abused at home. Bullied at School. And feels like he has no where to turn. But a twist of fate occurs after he wakes in the hospital following a vicious attack from his bullies, a chance meeting with a famed killer in the woods opens a new path for Martin to follow.





	1. New Beginning

Martin looked through the glass of his car window as they passed the decorative sign proclaiming his new home to be called ‘Rosswood’, its paint was faded and the words almost eaten by the fog that seemed to consume everything. They had moved here from south Texas, everything seemed so drastically different. The climate was cold and wet, a serious lack of sunlight was prevalent here. The redhead stroked his thumb over the picture in his hand, of himself as a baby with his father holding him. A week or so back, though it seemed only yesterday as the pain felt so fresh, his mother had arrived at the mental health clinic to pick him up. He’d been placed there at twelve because his mother couldn’t handle him and his father's cancer and meds made him too weak to help. 

He was almost eighteen now. When he had gotten in the car his mother had told him the following-

“We’re moving up north for your step-father's work, he got a promotion. Oh, right. I forgot to tell you. Your father passed away, like, I don’t know...five years ago? So forget about him. And don’t start your crying, I don’t feel like dealing with it.”

He hadn’t cried till much later, when he was the only one awake packing his stuff from his old room. The redhead had managed to talk his mother into letting him go through his dads old things where he found some old clothes he could wear. Old band shirts and such, some pants that didn’t swallow his slight frame and even some boots from his father's band days. Otherwise the only clothes he had were things his mother picked out and stuff from when he was twelve that shockingly still fit. He was very small for his age, always had been. He was frail from birth.

At the new house he unpacked a few things, not much. He planned to move out as soon as he could so there was no sense in unpacking everything. Martin tucked the picture of his father into a plastic sleeve to protect it, hiding it under his mattress. The redhead headed downstairs, wanting some fresh air. Wanted something to relieve the numbness he felt.

“Don’t stay out late!” His mother yelled as he walked out of their new front door, wanting to explore the town a bit while he could. After all he had school the following morning and wanted to get an idea of where things were so he wouldn’t get lost walking there. He passed a few people on his walk, ignored the strange looks he got when he waved and tried greeting them. His heart flipping with nervousness. He assumed it was the action, rather than his appearance. He wasn’t dressed weird, just a band t with a Heart-a-gram on the front in faded gold, ripped black jeans, and sneakers. Nothing weird. He had even put his hair up in a hat, a black beanie, hiding all but a few brilliant red strands. There wasn’t much he could do for his eyes, even with his sunglasses nothing hid the bright green hue from sight if he looked up and it would be rude to stare at the ground all the time. People might assume he was strange or might be plotting something terrible. The people were not as friendly as back in Texas, though that was saying little as the place they came from had few friendly faces in it to start with. All the same it seemed a bright new start to the teenage boy of the family that moved into the old two story on Woodard Lane. He kept a light of hope in his heart for this place, that he might be able to start a better life here. New school, possible friends, people who didn’t know him yet and he could change to fit in right?

His father had always taught him to meet people’s eyes as much as he could, so they could see his true intentions there. _‘Your eyes hold your soul in them, bare for others to view. Don’t be afraid to show them your heart.’_ His father had been a good man, kind to a fault with a smile that could brighten an entire room. The boy missed him terribly, nothing was the same without him around. 

His mother was nothing like his father, a cold and callous woman with a temper to rival a wildfire. She was cruel at her best and a devil at her worst. She had no love for her youngest son, whom she had no qualms showing her hatred of. He didn’t hate her for it exactly, he felt his existence had always been a burden and didn’t blame his mother for it. He felt himself a mistake, that surviving his childhood was a mistake. That it should be him in the ground, not his father. His father deserved life, not him. So he felt it impossible to blame his mother for hating him. 

The teen shook himself from his thoughts, lifting his eyes to the sign indicating the high school, smiling a little. He had found it without much incident. Good. Turning around he went home, taking his time getting there. Detouring into a park he had noticed on the way. On the road to the park there were two signs, one showing the park was to the right and another showing a cemetery was somewhere to the left through the forest. He paused a moment, feeling this sort of pull to go to the cemetery, he liked places like that. They were quieter, few people visited those places. But he ducked his head in the end and stirred toward the park, taking a walk around one of the trails before he headed home. 

Dinner was quiet, just himself in his room with a sandwich he snuck from the kitchen. His mother was pretty strict on how much food he was allowed, said they only had so much money and all. So he was careful not to take too much, after all he had skipped breakfast and lunch. So a simple sandwich wouldn’t go amiss right? Afterward he listened to the radio, the volume nearly too quiet as he didn’t want to disturb anyone and couldn’t find his earbuds. At some point he drifted off to sleep, hope still high in his heart. 

The following morning he woke to the alarm on his cellphone, the little cheap thing it was. Getting up and getting dressed in blue jeans and a black shirt, throwing his sneakers on and grabbing his old, gray messenger back. He trotted down the stairs quietly, so as not to wake his mother and step-father, grabbing a piece of buttered toast from the kitchen for breakfast and then rushing out the door. 

The walk to school was uneventful, as was much of the day. He sat alone at lunch, in the backs of his classes, going mostly unnoticed. Though he heard the whispers, was used to such things. Listened to them. Trying to figure out where to adapt himself to fit better. The most talked about thing, outside him being new, was his red hair. How bright and long it was. He had foregone his hat that morning, wished he hadn't. Martin’s hair went down past his shoulders, it was something he took a bit of pride in. It was like his fathers and his father had kept his extremely long. So his son had done the same despite how people made fun of him. But some days made it hard and he wished he had hidden it.

As he was getting his things out of his locker at the end of the day he was startled by someone slamming their hand into the metal door next to his, flinching and turning to look who it was. He, of course, didn’t recognize them, but guessed some sort of jock by the jacket he wore in the school colors. The teen also noticed immediately that he was surrounded by others like this one, three boys all in similar jackets, but with different hair colors and styles. All short styles, which was common. And two girls who looked to be both wearing expensive clothes and makeup. The stereotypical ‘Popular’ kids it seemed.

“So your the new kid, huh? They were right, he doesn’t look like much.” One of them commented, he had dark brown hair. Another snorted, one of the girls, “Are you sure its a he? Look at that hair. It’s so girly.” The other girl laughed rudely, “Yeah, maybe she’s just flat chested!” The whole group laughed at the redhead who blushed deeply in embarrassment and growing anger, anger he did his best to contain. This was not a place for any kind of emotional outburst. Clearing his throat to gain the groups attention, he tried to smile as genuinely as he could at them, “Actually. I am a boy. My name is Martin.” He introduced himself, “I keep my hair like this for my father, he was in a band when I was little and always kept his long.” Martin explained calmly, the kids looked between each other and laughed some more, one of the guys snorting, “What was he? In a drag queen band?!” Their laughter grew louder, the redhead shrinking into his locker, wanting to get away, but his paths were all blocked. He struggled for something to say, try to defuse the situation. 

“I need to get home…” He mumbled, somehow heard by at least one boy over the laughter. “You running home to your faggot dad?!” One of the boys jeered. Something in the redhead snapping at that, breaking like a dam and letting out the flood of anger and pain stored behind it all at once. Martin struck the boy hard with a left hook, he may have not looked much and might not have been that muscled, but he knew a little defensive fighting. His father had insisted on teaching it to him when he was young. The guy stumbled from the shock, the others shutting up immediately. “My father was a good man, better than any of you could ever dream to be. Don’t you ever talk about him again!”

For a moment, no one moved, just a single moment. Like they were all breathless or frozen. And then Martin was struck hard from the right, getting knocked to the floor easily. He didn’t hesitate to scramble to his feet or try to, feeling someone kick him in the side and push him to his back. The boys towered over him, had him pinned only that second, because he struck out again, sweeping one of them off their feet with his leg. The redhead used this as his chance, jumping to his feet and taking off at a full sprint down the hall.

He knew he wouldn’t outrun them, knew it from experience and the burn already building in his lungs as he stirred into the boys bathroom and swiftly locked the door behind him. It would slow them down he was sure, as he looked around the room in terror, what had he done?! He was supposed to start a new life, not get the crap beat out of him on his first day! The teen spotted a window just as the bullies began hitting and screaming at the door. The window was high and narrow, big enough he could fit if he could reach it! 

Martin thought fast, rushing to the stall closest to the window and grabbing the lip at the top of the door, hoisting himself up as fast as he could. The noise outside the bathroom calmed, the lock jiggling. They were picking it! The redhead cursed softly, reaching for the window ledge, he was so close! His heart pounded hard in his chest, for a blood chilling moment he was scared he wouldn’t reach. But just as he felt hopeless he got it, yanked the window up and pulled himself though, the bathroom door opening inside. He felt someone grab his ankle as he was pulling himself through, but managed to kick them off, falling out the window and hitting the ground hard. A whimper left him as he crawled back to his feet, rubbing his now bruised shoulder and starting to rush off. It was sometime before he noticed his shoes missing, cursing again as he slowed down at the edge of the school property where it met the woods. 

He didn’t linger long to mourn the loss of his shoes, hearing the boys behind him yelling, _‘There he is!’_ Sucking in a sharp sound as he rushed into the tree line, hoping to lose them there. Martin didn’t know how long he was running, taking twists and turns, before he realized they weren’t following. His breathing loud in his ears, heart racing as he struggled to keep breathing. The teen did his best to ignore the pain in his chest, hoping it would pass as he slowly stumbled onward, seeing a break in the trees. 

He was surprised to find himself in a cemetery, falling against an old mausoleum as he stopped to breath. Lifting his eyes once it was easier to do so, wiping the moisture from his lower lip that he realized was blood, cringing as he looked at it. His stomach churning. Wiping the crimson on his jeans and walking out farther into the tombstones, ancient looking trees, and overgrown brush. It was beautiful in his opinion, peaceful. Martin turned this way and that, admiring the sky in the break of the branches above, the way the light played on the aged stones and monuments. Totally distracted till he heard a twig snap a few feet from him, flinching back to attention, fearing it was the bullies again. But what he saw was the shadow of someone dodging away into the trees, silence following after.

Martin slowly straightened up, walking over to the grave they had left behind, staring out at the trees a long time. Slipping his hands in his pockets as he turned to look at the tombstone, smiling slightly when he saw the roses laying there. Wrapped in a pretty green ribbon. They weren’t store bought flowers either, these looked like wild roses. Carefully picked for who was buried here. The redhead knelt down to read the name, “Liu Silverstein…You were twenty-three huh? That’s sad...” He mumbled softly as he traced the words _‘Beloved Son and Brother.’_ The brother looked to have been hand etched much later than the other text. Which made the redhead wonder who had done that. “What’s it like? Being dead I mean...is it peaceful? I wish I was dead sometimes…” He really wasn't expecting an answer.

“Dying isn’t what it’s cracked up to be.”

Green eyes shot up, catching sight of the figure standing behind the stone, looking down at him with a neutral expression. He was taller than Martin, easily, and the teen could tell without standing up. Wearing a dark green and black striped long sleeve shirt, ripped jeans, and red boots covered in belts and silver buckles. He had mousy brown hair that was straight and well kept, framing his face which was scared in several places, it looked like someone had tried to carve a smile on him. His left eye was milky white and had a scar running down beneath, the other eye was dark violet. On his neck it looked like he had tried to slit his throat once, there were little scratches on his skin here. 

“You would know huh?” Martin asked with a small smile, though there was darkness in his bright green eyes. A painful darkness. The brunette nodded, leaning over on the stone, arms crossed on top of it, “Yeah...This is my grave after all.” The teen blinked at the reply, looking skeptical, “Your dead?”

“Not anymore.” 

Martin frowned at the answer, “What?” The other teen smirked at this, straightening up, sticking his hand in his pocket. “Why do you want to die?” Liu asked instead of answering, watching Martin with an assessing eye. The redhead looked away, shrugging, sitting down on the ground with his legs crossed. “I don’t know...I just think people would be better off.”

“Thoughts like that...will only make you crazy and drive your heart into a very dark place.” Liu replied after a moment, “I’m sure there’s someone out there that would benefit from you being alive.” Martin snorted at this, “Yeah? Like who? The bullies who want to use me as a punching bag? My mother who would rather do the same?” He answered coldly as he got to his feet and started to leave, shoving his hands in his jeans pockets. 

“Maybe you’ve not met them yet.” Liu’s voice made Martin stop, biting his lip. He had thought those things himself before, hoping maybe if he kept forcing himself to stay alive he would find someone that made it worth the pain. But his heart was growing weaker as the years past. He turned to look at Liu, mouth open with a question on the tip of his tongue, but the grave was abandoned now. As if no one had been there. The teen closed his mouth, looking at the ground and walking away. Heading back home.

He was lucky his mother was watching TV when he got back just after nightfall, sneaking straight upstairs and into his room. He did his homework as quietly as he could, before heading to bed, laying and staring at the ceiling. 


	2. A Friend

All the following week Martin skipped school, the bullies had been guarding the entrance every time and he really didn’t feel like facing them all at once. Instead he stirred into the woods, heading toward the cemetery in hopes of meeting Liu again. The first couple days he never actually showed up, so Marty spent that time reading, curled atop a thick old gravestone. Though he felt like he was being watched much of the time, making him a bit paranoid and looking around pretty often. In one ear he kept a single earbud to play music, mumbling along to the song softly as he read his book. 

One morning when he came by he noticed someone had left flowers on Liu’s grave, making the redhead frown a little. Did the brunette have family still somewhere? The vase had been knocked over though, recently by the look. All of it looked too recent. Martin bent down and rearranged the roses before taking his usual seat on the stone next to Liu’s grave, pulling out his book to wait. 

“Shouldn’t you be in school?”

The redhead smirked a little, dog earring his page as he closed his book, “I would be if it wasn’t for those bullies blocking the entrance everyday. And anyway I’d rather be out here.” He replied as he turned his head to look up at the brunette who only smiled a little as he sat on his own tombstone facing the opposite way as Marty. “So you would rather spend your time in a graveyard…”

“Yeah...it’s peaceful. No one here to yell at me or boss me around.” He mused, frowning a bit, “Though it is sort of lonely.” Martin admitted with a deep sigh, turning his brilliant green eyes to the ground. For the next few hours he and Liu discussed the weather, random hobbies and even favored books. 

“I like you Liu...your really nice…” Liu raised a brow, a bitter smile on his lips as he stood, hands in his pockets. “You wouldn’t like me all the time…” Marty looked over, frowning a bit, “What?”

“Nothing, it’s getting late. You should head home…” Liu pointed out, looking up at the darkening sky, “These woods aren’t safe at night.”

Martin snorted as he stood and shouldered his bag, “What? Some crazy knife wielding killer gonna come and cut my heart out?” He asked in reply, making a stabbing motion at himself and laughing a bit, watching Liu start off. “He might if your not careful.” Liu answered as he crossed into the trees and vanished, leaving the redhead alone again. “Yeah…? Then I guess I’ll be sure to be extra careless…” He mumbled bitterly as he turned away with a heavy sigh and started for home.

He hesitated a bit on the sidewalk when his house came into view, spotting his mother on the porch tapping her foot. Her arms crossed and a fierce expression on her face. Green eyes turned down to the ground as he approached, keeping quiet and still, maybe she would go easy? “Martin! Get you ass over here now!” She shouted at him though he was several yards away still, obviously not caring with the neighbors heard her.

The redhead walked over quickly, “Yes ma’am?” He mumbled, keeping enough distance so she couldn’t out right strike him right then and there. “Your school called, they said you’ve been skipping classes all week! Care to explain?!” Martin swallowed thickly, shrugging one shoulder, “There are some kids bullying me...they tried to beat me up last week and-” 

“Yeah? About time someone did. Little brat! Your so spoiled and fat. Go to your room, no dinner. I know you’ve been sneaking food! And your going to school tomorrow, no more bullshit.” She said, snatching him by his hair and shoving him toward the front door roughly.

“Yes mother.” The teen said quietly, ignoring the hunger pains in his gut. He’d only taken some apples here and there, he didn’t think she would notice. She didn’t even like apples, said they hurt her teeth. Up in his room he tried to listen to his radio a bit, laying curled up on his side in bed, staring into the distance. At some point he dozed off, waking around two when he felt chilled. Frowning deeply as he turned over and looked toward his window that was open, sitting up slowly, “Weird...I swore that was closed…” He muttered as he got up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and yawning. Closing the window he noticed something in the low light, sitting on his desk in the corner. Walking closer he noticed his shoes that the bullies had taken, blinking a few times as he touched one to make sure he wasn’t seeing things. “Okay...that’s...new. Um, thank you? Someone?” He muttered as he slowly turned back to his bed, feeling utterly lost. He glanced at the shoes a couple times, thinking he was losing it. 

The following morning he dressed quickly, his mother took him to school and didn’t leave till he was inside. Which kept the bullies from striking right then. It didn’t stop them from picking on him at lunch or during classes. He ended up sitting on tacks, getting his books wet when they ‘accidently’ spilled milk on them, and someone wrote ‘Faggot’ on his locker in black marker. He sighed heavily as he stood at his locker that afternoon, gathering his things to leave. Flinching a little when someone slammed the locker door shut. He knew without looking he was surrounded, “What is this? A high school movie with stereotypical ass wipe bullies? You pick on the new kid and play, frankly childish, pranks to make yourselves feel better about your own shit lives?” Martin eyed one of them through the strands of red escaping his hat, the guy laughed a bit as he snatched the hat off his head.

“Not quite retard.” He laughed at Martin, “See this is the movie where your little ass is going to die and no one's going to care.” The jocks friends laughed, one of them nudging the guy, “Yeah, we’ll string you up in the cafeteria and the lower dweebs will eat you for lunch.” Martin just stared at them, leaning back on his locker. More or less waiting. Running would only prolong the inevitable. “Sounds like a real slasher flick.” He yawned, the laughter slowly dying as they realized he wasn’t fazed. In their confusion Marty took advantage and sntached his hat back, slipping past them and taking the chance to escape. Ignoring their yells as they tried chasing him down. He made it into the trees, weaving through the brush and branches, his lungs burning a bit. 

So he wasn’t always the brightest. But standing and being a willing punching bag just wasn’t going to happen. He made it to the cemetery soon enough, stumbling over to Liu who was surprisingly already there. The brunette raised a brow, watching as Martin stopped at last. The teen throwing his bag to the ground, wheezing, a burning look in his eyes. “Bullshit…! It’s bullishit!” He choked out, “I’m so sick of getting pushed around!” 

Liu tilted his head a bit, “You’ll graduate soon and won’t have to deal with bullies after that...try not to let them get to you.” The brunette said in a calm tone, the dirty look he got didn’t seem to phase him. The teen tucked his hair into his hat, breathing slowly normalizing, “Says the guy already out of school.” Martin huffed, sitting down on the stone next to Liu’s, “They said their going to kill me.”

“All bullies threaten as much. It’s empty threats and nothing more. They just want to frighten you. Stand up to them, they’ll back down.”

“I did that twice already. Didn’t stop them, just pissed them off more.” Martin replied with a roll of his eyes, pulling a leg up to his chest. Glaring a bit at the trees. “Talk to your parents?” Martin snorted at this, shooting the other another dirty look.

“They don’t care. My mother thinks I’m a burden…” Liu fell quiet, watching the younger man a long time. “She’s right. I’ve only ever been a problem.” The redhead sighed heavily, staring listlessly into the treeline.

“I think she’s just mean.” The brunette replied in a gruff voice, slightly different than his usual. He sat down facing the trees like Martin this time, hands in his pockets. “Reminds me of my mother. The only thing she wanted out of her kids was what her kids could get her. I never saw an ounce of love out of that woman unless it was in front of her friends or my dads business buddies.” Liu turned that single violet eye on the redhead, smiling a bit, the look in his eyes was different too. Inviting more so than its healthy distance that he normally had. “Why do you think she’s right, Martin?”

“I eat too much, for starters.” The teen replied with a dark look, turning away. He didn’t want to talk about the other reasons, they were too personal. Hurt too much. Liu made a rude noise, “I doubt that. As skinny as you are? You probably don’t eat enough. What else?” Liu waited for an answer, but it didn’t come. Martin muttered a good night, grabbing his bag and heading off. Leaving his new friend a little worried. 

It was a month of the same stuff every day. Childish pranks, getting cornered, the taunting, the names. God the names. Most of them he could ignore. But one of the girls came up with the name ‘Mary’, saying he looked enough like a girl and that his name was easily shortened to it. The whole school was soon chanting about ‘poor miserable Mary’. And at home wasn’t much better, he got more food here and there, but not much. He made sure not to take too much. A couple crackers, a glass of water, a hand full of cereal. Most the time he stayed in his room, trying to do homework, keep to himself. Ignore his mother and step-father talking about him, about how much money they wasted on him, how much he ate them out of house and home, how troublesome he was. 

Martin felt more and more like a caged animal, trapped and desperate to escape. Like he always seemed to feel at the clinic. It was Sunday night he was pacing a little in his room, listen to the radio on low. His parents had been drinking downstairs and watching movies, so he listened to music a little louder without them noticing. Or so he thought until his bedroom door opened, slamming hard on the wall, making the teen flinch and drop his textbook that he had been studying. It was his stepdad, Bill, sipping a beer bottle. “Turn that shit down!” He slurred, motioning at the radio. The teen was quick to try to do so, but jumped when the beer bottle smashed into the radio and sent them both out the window and across the rooftop with a loud crash and clatter. That had been his fathers radio...

“Ungrateful little brat...all you do is leech off us and make a mess. Look at this crap!” He kicked some stacked boxes, stumbling a little toward Martin who was standing near the window still. The redhead kept quiet, kept his head down. If he was quiet his step-dad usually got bored and left. “What the hell are you even good for huh? Huh?! Worthless piece of shit…” The boy swallowed, backing up a step when Bill drew too close, a small noise leaving him by mistake. It was like a switch was hit, his stepfather striking out and grabbing him by his hair. Martin tried not to shout but it hurt as his face was slammed into his desk, his step-dad leaning over him to hiss in his ear, the overwhelming smell of stale beer making the teen feel sick. “Your just a worthless good for nothing and always will be…”

Bill tugged the boys hair painfully to make him lift his head, tossing him hard to the wooden floor where he cracked his head hard enough to see spots in his vision. The older man didn’t stop there either, he walked over and straddled the boy who was on his stomach, preventing him from getting up by forcing all his weight on him. Martin felt panic welling in him as he struggled to move, finally letting out a strangled cry. It was hard to breath and he felt like he might throw up, tears welling in his eyes as Bill forced himself on the teen. Rutting against him through his clothes like an animal. 

“You really are pretty as a girl, y’know that? Heh, maybe you could be a good whore?” Bill laughed at him, finishing after what seemed forever and leaving. The redhead curled up in a tight ball on the floor for a very long time, unable to keep himself from sobbing. At some point he managed to crawl into bed, not bothering to cover himself, far too exhausted from the trauma and tears. 

In the morning he dressed faster than usual and rushed out the door for school, keeping even more to himself, doing his best not to listen to the rude comments and threats. He gathered his things at the end of the day quickly and was outside before his bullies could corner him, heading straight for the cemetery. 

Marty kept his head down, feeling numb and cold, he let his bag hit the ground at the edge of the old graveyard. Walking like a zombie toward Liu’s grave, still not fully sure the man was real. He could very well have been a figment created from Martin’s own mind to keep him company, like his imaginary friend when he was little. The one that went away when he was hospitalized and medicated. And his mother hadn't bothered with his prescription so it wasn't much of a stretch.

Laughter made him look up, frowning deeply when he saw two teens from his school, a couple guys. They were kicking at the stone next to Liu’s laughing and throwing things, spraying it with paint. Anger boiled hot in the redhead’s gut, a shout leaving him before the thought of self-preservation kicked in. These guys could break him in two. “Hey! Leave that alone!” He yelled, picking up a rock and chucking it at them, startling them. The pair turned on him, looking ready to kill as they stalked closer, “What? You think your the graveyard police?” The redhead swallowed thickly, worry chilling his veins. _ ‘At least if I get beat to death here it won’t be for nothing…’ _He thought, taking a firm stance, “And if I am? Someone has to stop jerks like you from desecrating these graves.” 

One of them cracked his knuckles as he loomed over Martin who was barely to the big guys shoulder, “I’m going to really enjoy beating you into the-huh?” His buddy was looking past Martin, eyes wide with terror as he smacked his friends arm to gain his attention. The first teen looked up to see why his friend was scared and stumbled back, both of them going sheet white and turning to run away. Stumbling like fools over themselves. Martin stood there confused, his heart pounding with fear. Slowly he turned his head, but relaxed when he saw nothing there. Just graves and mausoleums, brush and old trees. “Weird…” The teen mumbled, wondering if maybe they had just been trying to psyche him out or something. 

The redhead turned toward the graves, walking over to see the mess they had made. “Jeez...looks like I’m going to need some decent cleaning supplies.” He mumbled as he tried to wipe the paint of the headstone, only now reading the name, tracing the letters with light fingers. “Jeffery...Damian...Silverstein.” Martin smiled a bit, sitting on the ground in front of the stone with his knees pulled close. “I like your name...it sounds pleasant.”

“Best stir clear of him, if your smart.” 

Martin lifted his green eyes to find Liu seated on his own headstone, looking down at the redhead with a small smile. The teen raised a brow, “You going to tell me he’s not dead anymore either?” He chuckled a little, looking back at the stone, hand outstretched to trace the letters etched into its surface.

“He never died.”

The redhead froze, lifting his green eyes slowly to gaze at his friend. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that news, how to really respond. Looking to the stone, he stared at it again for several minutes, “He’s only a couple years older than me…” Marty mumbled softly as he again traced Jeffery’s in the rough stone surface, but a scared hand reached down and took his wrist, pulling him from doing so. “Seriously, stay away from him. He’d sooner kill you than anything else.” Liu urged him, a chill filling his stomach at the deadened look in Martin’s lovely green eyes.

A slow, humorless smile spread across pale lips, “But, I want to die…” Marty replied softly, pulling his knees closer and burying his head between them. Liu swallowed a thickness that built in his throat, slowly shifting to sit on the ground closer to the redheaded teen. “Come on...we talked about this. There might be someone out there that’s going to need you. You need to stay strong.” Silence choked the air between them as the cemetery darkened, the sun dipping below the horizon in the distance. “Liu?”

“Yes?”

“Your real, right?” The elder man blinked a few times in confusion at the question, looking at the redhead as he lifted his eyes to peek through his hair at him. Liu stared back for a time, unsure how to answer or even reassure the other, before finally smiling gently. “I’m real. I promise.” He wasn't certain why Martin needed to eve be reassured of such a thing and though he wanted to ask, he didn't.

A little over an hour later Martin stood, bidding Liu a good night, before going to pick up his things and head home. “Be careful on your way back!” Liu called, worry in his gut for Martin. The forest was dangerous during the day, but down right perilous at night if one wasn’t careful. The redhead walked slow, knowing full well that his mother was going to be furious when he got home no matter what. So there wasn’t much point in being in a rush. He kept his head down, listening to the sounds of insects and his feet crunching the leaves and sticks that littered the ground.

But a particularly loud twig snapping made him stop, lifting his head slowly. That sound hadn’t been under his foot, but in fact behind him somewhere. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end as he slowly looked back, scanning the dark trees for anyone that might be stalking him through the forest. But he saw nothing. Shaking slightly, he turned back and started running for home. He wasn’t even sure why he was scared if he was honest, but flight sort of kicked in and he was off. 

Just as he suspected his mother was up waiting for him when he got home, looking fairly pissed off. She forbid him from going anywhere but school and home for the next month, this made his stomach twist painfully. It meant he wouldn’t see his only friend again for a long time and he couldn’t even get a message to Liu to let him know. Begrudgingly he went up to his room and went to bed, not bothering with school work. 

The following day would be the beginning of a truly strange chapter in his life...


	3. Go To Sleep

Martin left the house that morning to the gloomy feeling that was caused by more than simply the clouds that hung over head or the grumbling of coming rain in their depths. He paused at the doors of his high school, the bell ringing out to draw in the students just as the first drops of rain began falling. The whole day drifted by like a haunting dream, eerily and easily forgotten later. It was during his last class of the day, English, that a note found its way onto his desk while the teachers back was to the room. At first he thought it a mistake, but upon looking closer he discovered his name on it. Confused, he unfolded it under his desk and glanced it over several times.

_Meet me in the cafeteria after school. I want to talk._

There was a little heart drawn at the bottom and someone’s name, ‘Cory’. The redhead frowned, turning his head a bit to look up at a desk in the row next to his, where the only Cory in class sat. Cory Steel, one of the more popular kids in the school. He had never spoken to Martin directly, never appeared to give him a passing glance. So when the raven haired boy lifted deep blue eyes and winked at him, this sort of flirty smile on his lips, Martin’s heart jumped in confusion and excitement. He turned his head back, biting his lip. Wondering what this all meant, what it could mean. Daydreaming a moment, unbidden, in hope for, if nothing more, than a friend.

So after classes he gathered his things in his bag, hiding out in a bathroom for a bit after to avoid his bullies, before heading to the back of the building where the cafeteria was. The room was a massive one, large enough to house all the students plus if need be, with a high echoing ceiling and metal rafters. The redhead stepped into the huge dark room, not seeing anyone in the light cast from the hall. “Cory…?” He called out hopefully as he got farther into the room, wondering if he was early or maybe too late. The teen spun around when the lights flickered on suddenly and small amounts of laughter echoed, behind him stood six people, three boys and three girls. Five of them his usual bullies, William Nadic, Olivia Holten, Brittney Summers, Marsha Littles, and Scott Holland. Names he had memorized for no real reason than to know the names of his terrorizers. The last, the sixth person, who was lounging against the wall near the door was Cory Steel himself.

Martin's heart sank as he took several steps back as they advanced, knowing that a beating was coming, his stomach twisting with fear. His breaths quickening slightly. “Oh look, he’s scared!” Scott laughed, nudging William with his elbow, “About time. Where’s all your bravado now ya little shit?” He grinned, the tension in the air thick. Cory moved to join the other two, looking almost bored, “Lets get on with this, I have stuff to do.” The raven reached for Martin who jerked back, turning to make a run for the fire exits but found himself on the floor suddenly when two heavy bodies tackled his. They wrestled him onto his back, sitting on their knees with his arms pinned beneath them so he couldn’t moved. Cory laughed now, getting a bit excited by the struggle as he pinned the redhead’s left arm down, “Damn, feisty little fucker isn’t he?”

William cracked his knuckles as he stood at Martin’s feet, the smaller teen growling and trying to get up. He kicked at Will who merely laughed at him as he stepped back, “Yeah, he is. It’ll be all the more fun breaking him…” The three boys took turns beating him, punching him in the gut and chest. At one point Will sat with his knee buried in Martin’s stomach as he punched him in the face over and over before landing a last, brutal blow to his chest where he audibly broke several ribs. Martin tried his best to make little to no noise, if he didn’t show that they were affecting them they would just get bored and leave. He hoped. Only a few grunts and gasps escaped, his breaths now turned to choked wheezing though as he coughed from the pain in his chest. He found it much harder to breath and was scared he might have punctured a lung judging by the copper taste on the back of his tongue. Olivia made a dramatic sighing noise, “God I hate his eyes, their so bright its fucking creepy and gross.”

“They look like snot or slime.” Marsha laughed and the other two joined in, Brittney producing something that the redheaded teen couldn’t seen. “Then why don’t we get rid of them?” She suggested, Olivia smiling a bit too eagerly as she took whatever it was. “Hold his legs William…” The girl instructed as she walked over and daintily sat on Martin’s abused torso, making him grunt and grit his teeth. She laughed at this, a low, dark sound. “Hold still now~” She sang, grabbing a fist full of red strands roughly and yanking his head straight to hold him still, lifting the object at last into Martin’s vision. Panic filling him again and finally he began straining and struggling to free himself, fear getting the best of his brave front. “Stop! Please, just leave me alone! I’ve never done anything to you!” He pleaded uselessly, the other teens only laughing as Olivia bent over him and brought the spork she held close to his face.

The pain was indescribable, the redhead screamed out and cried for mercy, for them to do anything else. To leave him alone. But no mercy came from them, he was forced to endure the feeling and pain of Olivia digging and clawing till she ripped the left eye from his skull, holding the bloody thing in front of her, “Ew, its even grosser now…” She said in distaste as Martin lay panting, barely clinging to his consciousness at this point. Between the pain, blood loss, and fear he was slowly giving up. _‘I’m going to die like this...no one will miss me. No one will care. I’m going to die all alone.’_ He thought vaguely with sorrow, tears already staining the right side of his face. The left throbbed horribly. “Someone…” He managed to croak, choking on the blood in his mouth, “...please…”

Olivia rolled her eyes and leaned over to get the other eye, ready to finish the job. But by some stroke of fate or luck or God perhaps, the doors to the cafeteria slammed open and startled the teens. The six bolting for the other exits and leaving Martin on the floor in a growing pool of blood. He was fading in and out, trying to stay awake in case this newcomer was not friend but foe. The world was sluggish, the sounds that reached his ears seemed as if underwater, things appeared faded and distorted. The only thing he recalled later was seeing something white, the feeling of strangely cold hands on him, the heavy smell of the forest, and a rough voice telling him it was going to be okay.

He didn’t think it would be okay, nothing about what had just happened would be okay. This thought faded with the rest as he passed into the darkness of unconsciousness at last, totally unaware of anything at all for a time. Blissful one might call it.

It was several days before Martin awoke to the smells of antiseptic and sounds of beeping from the heart monitor, opening one eye to observe, with mild confusion, the bright lights above him. He blinked several times, trying to remember how he got there. What happened. Sitting up slowly or trying to, but whimpering a bit at the dull pain it caused him. The pain brought some of the memories back, his heart skipping in a different sort of pain and he almost missed his mother speaking to him. “Don’t cry Martin! You’ll soil your fresh bandages!” She said it in a way that it might of sounded kind to others ears, but he knew she was chastising him.

It took him a few minutes to collect himself and force the pain and fear down, lifting a trembling hand, that was taped up and hooked up to an IV, to touch the bandages on his face. He almost began to cry all over again as he realized it had actually happened, his eye was gone. The redhead shook violently, feeling an anxiety attack coming like one he had not had since he was a boy and haunted by killer harlequins. But the words his mother was saying finally reached him, the shock of them causing him to still and stare at her with his remaining wide eye in disbelief. “What...did you say?”

“I asked why you did this to yourself Martin...This isn’t normal and I think you need to go back to Hollow Springs sweetie.” She said gently in tone, but it was more a threat and he knew it. Feeling hollow inside as he answered in a soft voice, “I didn’t do this...those kids...the bullies...William and Olivia...they did this…” He managed to get out slowly as he pulled at the memories his mind was already trying to bury to save him from dealing with the trauma. He watched as his mother shake her head, “Martin there was no one in the school. All the kids went home. You were alone…”

“No I wasn’t!” He sounded desperate, even to his own ears, as he told her this. Pleading with his remaining eye for her to believe him, but he could see she didn’t. And she repeated that he had been alone. Martin found himself shaking his head, the sounds drowning out into a mash of chaos only some things registering in his head. Like Hollow Springs and help. He didn’t realize he was hyperventilating, didn’t hear the heart monitor going crazy or the alarm that was drawing the nurses.

_‘They don’t believe me! She thinks I’m crazy!’_ The redhead shook his head, having sat up, the adrenaline pumping through him blocking out the pain, “I’m not crazy! I’M NOT CRAZY! I DIDN’T DO THIS!!” He screamed the words at her, felt hands on him but wrestled them off, throwing the blankets off and managing to somehow stand. Staggering a bit, “I’M NOT CRAZY! YOUR NOT SENDING ME BACK THERE!” He backed away from the nurses who tried to stop him, tried to convince him to lay down and told him it was going to be okay. Nothing was okay and never would be again.

Stumbling a little, he grabbed the rolling table next to him and shoved it at the group, making them back up. Thoughtless to his own well being he ran past them, out into the hall, shoving someone out of his way in order to run. He got lost for only a moment before finding the fire exit and shoving open the door, running down the stairs to the first floor. He dodged more nurses trying to stop him, alarms screaming and people yelling over radios as he ran out the double doors and into the parking lot, his bare feet meeting wet asphalt that soon turned to fallen leaves and moist earth.

Martin’s breaths nearly stopped as he forced himself forward, the burn barely registering as he ran as fast and as far as he could. But eventually he became too dizzy, the world spinning as he landed on his knees and hands, coughing hard and trying to pull in air that he desperately needed. But he choked, heaving a few times before spitting up mouthfuls of blood onto the ground. The teen panted, choked sobs leaving him when he was finally able to breathe a little more, his chest aching terribly now as the adrenaline faded. Martin leaned heavily against a tree next to him, managing to pull his arms up around him as he sat doubled over. _‘I don’t want to die alone...not like this…’_ And suddenly he really wished he could find Liu, even though he didn’t know for sure if they were good friends, the elder was the only friend the teen had and he wanted to be near him. To have the comfort of someone who cared even a little about him.

The rain soaked the hospital gown that he wore, mud coated his knees from running, his hands dirty and scuffed from the fall. The forest was silent other than the pattering of raindrops against the ground and leaves, so when a twig snapped near by in the clearing he was in he noticed it at once. His shoulders jerked, his head shot up, which made him dizzy and his mind a little sluggish so it took a little longer than it should to register what he was looking at.

It was someone about his age, maybe a little older, standing in the rain gazing back at him with pale eyes. He couldn’t quite make out the color from so far away, but he could make out other details. Like his skin being almost white it was so pale and his clothing that bore signs of the other having been in the woods a time, the ends of his clothing dotted with dirt and his shoes muddy. He had wild black hair that was a bit above shoulder length, wore a black t-shirt and pants, and the most startlingly white coat Martin had ever seen. The redhead noticed the scars next, the glasgow smile on his cheeks and other scars that littered the guys face, one on his neck looked very like a burn.

Finally he noticed what the man was holding as it glinted in the little daylight that filtered through the rain clouds above them, a knife. A very sharp looking one at that. Martin spoke, with an empty, hollow smile on his blood stained lips, as the man moved toward him. “Are you going to kill me…?” He asked the raven who slowed a bit, not answering, so the teen continued. “Liu said there was a killer in the woods...I guess you're here to cut out my heart…” The redhead rested his head against the tree, watching the stranger. “At least someone wants it for something…” The redhead closed his eye, long, tangled strands falling over his shoulder. It was only when he felt the man's body heat did he open his eye again to see the raven kneeling beside him, observing him with almost sad looking blue eyes.

The raven said absolutely nothing as he pressed the knife into Martin’s fingers after grabbing his wrist to pulling it away from where it gripped tightly on his arm, then carefully lifted the smaller man up. The redhead couldn’t help the sound of pain that weakly left his lips, feeling like he might cry again it hurt so bad. He closed his eye again and focused on slow breathing till he must have passed out, because he woke later to find they were in the cemetery. Martin knowing which stone they stood before without looking at it. The raven settled him on his feet, helping him to sit on the gravestone next to Liu’s. He took back the knife and stepped back, seeming a little awkward as he stood there. The elder looked around, like he was seeking something or listening for someone. The redhead bit his lip a little, heart hammering in his chest, he felt confused and...enamored. This man had brought him to where he would find Liu, his friend. Did he know that? Or maybe he meant to kill Martin here instead? Fitting.

But when the other started walking away he somehow suspected the former, lifting his head, reaching out as it to stop him. “Wait! What...what’s your name?” He asked stupidly, mind nagging to know. In response the raven turned his head back a bit and the redhead wasn’t sure if he was smirking or if it was the scars, but the man replied, “Why don’t you ask my brother?” Martin blinked a bit, confused, his eye darted to Liu’s grave. Fingers gripping the stone he sat on, “Thank you!” He called out, regretting it a little when it caused him to fall into a fit of painful coughs. When he looked again he was alone.

The teen swallowed and sighed, sliding to sit curled up on the ground. For a long time he stared at the mud in front of Liu’s grave, before he began to quietly sob, burying his head in his knees. His whole body hurt, he knew without looking that most of him was bruised. When someone stepped in front of him he did not lift his head, not even when they spoke in a familiar voice and he felt a calmness wash over him that told him he was safe at last. “You’ll catch your death of cold out here.” Liu said in a calm voice, hiding the worry he felt when he saw the bandages peeking out of the hospital gown and the bruises on the small teens pale skin.

When it was clear Martin wasn’t going to respond he spoke again, “Want me to take you home?” He asked, this got a response in the form of a vicious ‘No’ and a fit of coughs that left Martin’s fingers stained in fresh blood. “They-they think I’m crazy...want to...send me to...Hollow Springs.” He said between coughs before wheezing hard, trying to stop. Liu heaved a breath, glancing at the woods, he knew a safe place to take his friend. Even if he wasn't fond of taking him there, it was better than nothing.

But at what cost? What could it do to Martin? What would they do to Liu for bringing in a stranger? Liu turned his violet eye to the redhead, knowing he could not leave him there and that even if it cost him he needed to bring him to that place. They could help heal him, give him care he clearly needed and obviously didn’t want from a doctor. So he carefully picked Martin up, wincing at the small cry of pain it caused the teen, before heading off into the trees.

The redhead said nothing and the only sound made by the pair were Liu’s footfalls and Martin’s labored breathing, the rain slowing and finally stopping as they entered a large clearing. In it was a very old, very big house of a Victorian sort of style. It looked run down and abandoned though, other than the smoke escaping the chimney and the smell of something fresh baking, like cake or bread. There was light in a few windows too, but it seemed oddly subdued as if the windows were two way and designed to look like no one was home. Liu walked up onto the porch and carefully opened the door, setting Martin on his feet. The redhead leaned heavily on a wall, looking around the interior of the foyer, spotting a living area with a fireplace to the left through an archway and a kitchen to the right.

“I’ll be right back, don’t wander too far.” He said and darted up the stairs in front of them, vanishing from sight around a corner. The redhead sighed a bit, looking at the living room, tempted to sit, but looking back at the kitchen he spotted someone looking back and stiffened. Feeling self-conscious and nervous, the man in the kitchen was very tall, well over six foot or more with shaggy, shiny black hair and gray skin like he was from a colorless photo. His eyes were white, the scaleas impossibly black. His cloths of a similar pattern. Gray plaid shirt, loose and open, tucked into his pants that hung low on very thin hips. He wore nothing under the open shirt but black cotton bandages around his chest, so the rest of his torso was pretty bare and showed off lightly toned muscle. But his most interesting feature, really, must have been his nose. A cone, pointed and sharp looking, that was striped black and white.

They stared at each other a long time before the stranger spoke, smiling warmly at the redhead with a strange look in his eyes that Martin did not feel he recognized. “Hey, your looking kind of miserable.” He said, to which the redhead looked away, shrugging with some difficulty and not saying anything. “You know, I feel like sweets make most things more bearable. I just made some fresh blue raspberry candy, would you like to come sit and have a few pieces?”

Martin lifted his eye, watching the other a few minutes. He was raised that you didn’t take things from strangers, but this man must live here and Liu must live here. So they must be friends, right? Which meant this man probably wouldn’t hurt him. So he hobbled over, staggering a bit, fighting the dizziness that made him want to faint. His stomach growling a little. “Okay...sure.” He mumbled as he managed to get up on a stool next to the island where the man was making something that resembled colorful cookie dough, he was offered a bowl of small, square blue candy pieces. Taking one, he mumbled a thank you before putting it in his mouth. A hum of joy left him as he savored the flavor, it was the same as the kind he used to get as a little boy. The memory was there, hazy, but there. Most his childhood memories were pretty hazy and he could not make much detail of them. Most the ones that stood out were of his father.

“So, what’s your name kiddo?” The man asked, the way he said it was odd, but the redhead said nothing about it and responded. “Martin…Marty is okay…” The raven nodded, glancing at him now and again, “People call me LJ here. Nice to meet you, heh...You remind me of cinnamon. Not the color of it, but the bright flavor. Maybe I’ll just call you that, Cinnamon.” The teen blinked, hand hovering near his mouth with another sweet, recognition in his eye for a second before he blinked and frowned deeply. “Cinna...mon…” He mumbled, before shaking his head and nodding, blushing a little, “I like it...um...I don’t mind.”

LJ smiled softly, paying attention to his ingredients as he spoke now, “So what happened to you Cinnamon, you look pretty beat up.” Martin chewed his candy slowly, not looking up just yet. There was a stirring of fear at the idea of telling this stranger and him not believing him too, a strong one at that. His shoulders shook a bit, hands in his lap now as they stressed at the hem of the dirty hospital gown. “I…” His voice was strained and squeaked weakly when he tried to push out the words, making him clear his throat a bit to try again and swallowing the thick feeling on the back of his tongue. “These...they...they held me down...I…” He struggled to get the words out, fingers unconsciously clawing at the skin on his arms, “They held me down and tore it out! I didn’t do this! I’m not craZY! I’M NOT CRAZY!” Martin’s fingers slipped up to grip his hair, eye pleading as he shook his head.

The raven said nothing, couldn’t find the words. He had hoped the reason would be an accident, something like that. Not...not that someone had done this to him. LJ felt sick to his stomach at the realization, long fingers gripping his wooden spoon so tight the wood cracked in his hold. When the teen listed to one side, the light in his eye fading, the clown moved instantly. Long arms caught the small redhead easily, preventing him from hurting himself further. Liu rushed around the corner from the stairs, panting softly, a worried look in his violet eye. “What happened? I heard yelling?” He said, his voice a bit deeper and more gruff. LJ eyed him a moment, Sully usually only came out when it came to fighting with someone or when Jeff dared to come to the house. So it was a strange and rare occurrence for the normally calm brunette’s wilder personality to surface. “He had an anxiety attack, I think. Lets get him to an empty room and let him rest awhile, I think he needs it.” LJ replied as Sully came forward and expectantly held his arms out for Martin, the look in his eye hard and daring the clown to deny him.

The raven took a slow breath and let it out through his nose, carefully he passed the brunette the redhead. If for no reason than to prevent the teen from dealing with more than he already had right now. LJ followed the younger man upstairs to a room just across from his own, making it the second door on the left side of the second floor hallway. Above he could hear movement in the attic, knowing whom it was. “I’ll get EJ, he might be able to help.” The raven said as he turned to head back downstairs and into the basement levels of the house. It was large upstairs, but downstairs it was absolutely massive. Large enough to house an army, though only a handful of people lived here full time many frequented the place as a safe harbor. And one of them was EJ, the former plague doctor turned demon who volunteered his services as a physician in exchange for room and board.

The clown tapped lightly on the door to EJ’s personal rooms, knowing he wouldn't be in the infirmary since no one was there who needed care. His answer came soon enough and he smiled a bit at the gray skinned man, darker than his own, with dark blue hair tied back. His wild bangs whispering into his eyeless face, the lights in the depths of those empty holes observing LJ, “Laughing Jack...Can I aid you in some way?” He asked in a gravely, echoing voice that sounded like many voices talking at once. The raven nodded and pointed up, “We have a new guest and I fear he needs some serious medical attention.”

EJ merely nodded, picking up his leather medical bag from where he kept it by the door. The pair headed back up to where Sully had brought Martin and already began trying to clean him up, having removed the soiled hospital gown, leaving him in loose under shorts. The redhead was wheezing heavily, his chest clearly struggling to rise. The doctor stopped in the door a moment, observing his patient from a distance as if he was stunned, but LJ sincerely doubted that. The bluenette had seen far worse things in his long life, much like his clown friend. For the next couple hours EJ worked to clean wounds and do what he could, asking questions that received no good answer since no one present was sure of all his injuries and if anything was internal.

Afterward they left the redhead to rest peacefully.


	4. Reality?

Martin wasn’t sure how long he was out or even really sure where he was when he woke up, moaning softly at the ache in his body. It was much milder than he expected, even as he sat up and looked around the mostly empty room. The only furniture besides the bed was a desk and empty set of floor to ceiling shelves embedded in the wall. The walls were decorated with old, faded floral wallpaper in some sort of once yellow strips and vines of roses. The redhead decided he liked it, the wallpaper that is. The window next to the bed was closed up with shutters so he couldn’t look out, but the light that came through the cracks in the slates told him it was late evening or early morning. It really depended on which side of the house the window was on.

The teen sat there awhile, dazed and confused as his mind tried to piece together how he got there. “Jack...I’m scared...I miss you…” The redhead mumbled as he pulled his knees up to his chest and hugged them, burying his face in them. He was totally unaware of the door opening and the person entering hearing the words, did not see the way their eyes got large with surprise before they realized that Martin did not know who they were. LJ had noticed when Martin arrived that the redhead clearly did not recognize him and though it hurt he didn’t and wasn’t planning to push to try to get him to remember. He had left to protect him and the raven still believed it was for his own good that he did not remember the clown.

LJ cleared his throat, startling the redheaded teen whose head shot up in surprise, “Sorry, I was coming to see how your feeling. You’ve been out awhile.” He explained as he drew closer, pulling up a chair and sitting down next to the bed. “Are you hungry? Hurting? I can get you something if you need it.” Martin just stared at the raven a long time before eventually looking away, “I’m fine…” He mumbled after a time, “How long have I been out?” 

“A day or two. EJ suggested you shouldn’t do anything strenuous for a few weeks at least. You have a punctured lung and he’s also worried about how your immune system is fairing, your pretty anemic. I think he’s given you a couple pints now, but he’s out getting more.” LJ explained, rambling a little nervously as he fidgeted with his shirt sleeve. The teen watched him, a slow smile spreading across his lips as he relaxed a little. Now, a sane person might have questioned LJ’s appearance pretty strongly. But Marty was far from sane, so he was told, or maybe he was just kinder than most people. Either way, to him LJ was a totally normal person. “I’m fine...really. Just confused.” The teen said to the clown, a million questions on his mind. 

The monochrome man looked up and smiled sweetly, “How about I answer your questions over some food? You must be pretty hungry.” No sooner had the words left them than his ears caught the growl of Martin’s stomach, the boy blushing deeply and then palling with a striken look of worry. “I’m fine.” He said at once, averting his eyes to the blanket pooled around his waist. It was only now he noticed he wasn’t wearing the hospital gown, just his boxers. “D-did you change my clothes?” He asked LJ in a small, shy voice. The answer made him flush darkly, “Hm? Oh, no. Sully...erm...Liu changed them when he brought you upstairs. He didn’t think you would be comfortable in muddy wet clothes and EJ needed to change your bandages anyway.” LJ replied calmly, getting to his feet and walking to the closet, “I found some clothes I’m certain will fit you and there's a bathroom just across the hall, diagonal to this room if you want to clean up.” 

Martin nodded a bit, “Okay…” He whispered, LJ going to the door to give him some space. But the raven paused a moment, shooting the redhead a sweet smile, “I’ll make you a cucumber and tomato sandwich, it’ll be downstairs when your done.” With that he walked out, leaving Marty alone. Only vaguely did the teen wonder if the clown had any idea that was his favorite sandwich, it had been since he was really young. The redhead could still clearly recall his father making them for him in their sunny little kitchen and eating them at the kids table in his room. The teen shook himself from the memory and went to the closet, finding something loose to wear. Shorts and a black t-shirt that was seriously too big, in fact it fell a bit off his shoulder. But he liked the band it displayed on the front in a faded graphic, Motionless in White. They were a favorite of his. The shirt smelled weirdly familiar but he knew that was likely in his head, his mind tricking him because he liked the scent.

It didn’t take him long to locate the bathroom LJ had mentioned and he shut the door behind him, stopping a moment, frozen as he stared into the mirror in a mix of horror, sorrow, and disgust. He stared at the bandages around his chest, the bruises littering his skin that were not all from the attack at the school. A shiver ran over him as he was assaulted with a memory for each, flash images of his step-father and those kids. His eye trailed down to his hips, the bones a bit too defined to normally be considered healthy. But Martin had always been like that, as far as he could recall. He still felt like he was overweight, fat. Even knowing that if he took off the bandages he could count his ribs, almost, perfectly. Finally that green orb looked at his face in the mirror, at the bandages covering the left side of his features. Swallowing he reached up and unwound them, peeling the gauze and cotton away to reveal the mess beneath. 

The teen shook softly as he looked over the remains of his eye socket, the cuts, bruises, and empty hole left behind. A crazed smile turned up his the corners of his mouth, fingers clawing a little at his left cheek, opening the wounds and making new scratches as he dragged his nails down. The laughter that filled the room was hardly sane, “What a lovely mess! Ehehe~ Like a cheap horror movie fuck up!” He said to no one, inside he was screaming. Mourning the fact no one would ever want him. Not that they had before. The redhead wanted nothing more than to be dead right then, anything was better than this misery...Right? What future did he have now? If he went home he’d be put in the asylum. He had nowhere to go and he wasn’t sure how long he’d be allowed to stay at this house, whoever’s house it actually was.

Martin felt truly hopeless. 

He was drawn from his mental breakdown by a gentle knock on the door, “You okay in there?” The voice sounded like Liu’s, though it was rough again. Heady. That was the only way the teen could describe it. Martin jerked a bit, pulling his blood stained hand back, whipping his head toward the door, heart racing wildly. “Martin?”

“I’m fine!” He replied finally, voice cracking a bit and he winced at the sound of it. Weak. Clearing his throat he tried again, “I’m fine Liu...Um...I’m going to shower, can we talk afterward?”

“Sure, of course. I’ll be downstairs waiting.”

“‘Kay…” Marty waited a few minutes before running nearly scalding water and scrubbing himself as clean as he could, taking off the bandages to do so. His chest was black and purple with bruises, but his ribs looked like they had been repositioned a little, likely when they had to be put back in place. At least he could breathe mostly normally, for now anyway. After he was washed, though he still felt dirty, he forced himself to turn off the water and get dressed. Pulling on the shorts he found and tying the draw string to keep them on, slipping on the band-t. The shirt fell a bit off his shoulder but it was comfy so he wasn’t complaining. Again his eye found his reflection and he stared at the mess left on the left half of his face, cringing a bit, he pulling his hair moreover that eye. But this made him cringe more as he noticed with his hair over his shoulder he looked like a girl, the words of his bullies ringing in his head.

_ ‘Poor miserable _ ** _Mary!’_ **

Martin’s stomach twisted thinking about it, swearing he could hear their laughter in his mind. His breathing picked up as the anxiety rose in his body, pulled between hiding most that mess and not wanting to look like a fucking girl. His green eye spotted something glinting on the counter and realized it was scissors, sitting innocently in a cup by the sink alongside someone's toothbrush. Thin fingers picked them up, staring at them for a long time before looking at himself in the mirror again.

_ ‘I wanna be just like you daddy!’ _

_ ‘Oh yeah?’ _

_ ‘Uhuh! Daddy is brave and kind! Hehe~ I’ll grow out my hair and be just like you!’ _

_ ‘Alright kiddo, if that’s what you want. I’ll even show you how to braid it okay?’ _

_ ‘Yay!’ _

The redhead felt the hot tears more than really saw them as he started cutting away his long hair, running shaking fingers through it to loosen the bits he had already cut. The scissors slipped out of his fingers with a loud clinking sound and onto the floor as he finished, blood leaked from the hole left behind from his missing eye. He wasn’t sure how long he stayed in the bathroom or when he ended up sitting on the floor against the wall sobbing, but when he was too tired to keep doing so he got up and cleaned up his mess. Washing the blood from his face, neck, and hands. The teen felt numb now, pushing the pain as far down as he could and locked it up where it should be. 

He found his way downstairs and into the kitchen where he could hear quiet talking, LJ and Liu were at the kitchen island. He didn’t catch what they were talking about but by the nervous looks when he came down the stairs he feared it must be him, getting nervous himself as he lingered in the doorway. “Hey there Cinnamon, how are you feeling?” The raven clown asked as he put on a kind and open smile, Liu smiled as well as they looked at the redhead. Though Liu’s expression, in his violet eyes, was one of concern. Martin mumbled his usual ‘I’m fine’ and jumped a bit at the growl that left the brunette, “Bullshit Martin, no one here is so dense their going to believe that.” Liu said in a gruff voice, walking over to Marty who took a step back and flinched with wide eyes. 

This seemed to startle the brunette whose eyes went wide with confusion, the redhead looked a bit like a cornered animal. LJ winced slightly, calmly coming closer with his hands up to show he meant no harm to Martin. He sensed the fear coming off him in waves, “It’s okay kiddo...no one here is going to hurt you. Sully and Liu are just really worried about you…” Marty’s green eye shot to the raven, staring a few minutes. The teen was calming down a bit, distracted by the new information, “Sully…?” He asked curiously, his answer coming from the brunette.

“Me. I’m Sully.” Liu answered, only confusing Marty more and it showed. The brunette rubbed his neck a little, “I have DID...er...Dissociative Identity Disorder. It causes me to have other personalities or Alters. In this case my name is Sully. The original personality is Liu. I was ‘born' to help Liu escape the stress in his life.” Sully explained as best he could, looking uncertain, “To be honest, you actually spend more time with me than Liu, but we were afraid to tell you before because we didn’t want to scare you.”

Martin hesitated a moment, taking all this in and relaxing visibly. The teen smiled a little, “I knew someone who had DID, when I was-” He paled and cut himself off, “Anyway I know what it is. Don’t worry. Um...If it's any consolation, I’m told I have schizophrenia. B-but I’ve not seen or heard anything in a couple years now.” The redhead took a shaky breath and let it out, turning his gaze to the floor, his hand fidgeting with the sleeve of his t-shirt.

LJ had a haunted look in his monochrome eyes that he tried to hide, smiling a bit, “Anyway, I made sandwiches, why don't we eat and you can ask those questions you had Cinnamon.” Marty smiled a little and walked over to the island, getting noticeably excited as he took a sandwich when it was handed to him. He took a seat on the stool by the counter, feet kicking a little like a kids since he was pretty short compared to the height of the stool. Martin took a bite and made an audible noise of delight as he chewed and swallowed, “With mayo and dill! Just like my dad used to make!” He giggled a bit, before blushing with embarrassment and ducking his head shyly, “Sorry, it's just really good.” LJ shook his head and replied it was okay, but Sully seemed a little star struck.

_ ‘Does he even know how cute he is?’ _

Martin looked up at LJ, swallowing another bite, “So you both live here together?” He asked, “And this um...EJ? What does EJ and LJ stand for?” The teen watched the clown, eating slow. The raven chuckled a bit, almost nervously, “That’s right. And there, of course, are many others who live here off and on. This place is a sort of safe house for our kind and for those who have no place in the regular world.” LJ explained, gesturing a bit, he was a very animated talker. “EJ stands for Eyeless Jack, but his real name is Jacque Basiles. You’ll see why he got the nickname later I’m sure.” The clown hesitated a little before answering the next question, worried about Marty remembering. “And LJ stands for Laughing Jack, which is actually my name.”

Martin nodded a bit, pulling up other questions in his mind, seeming unaware of anything so LJ relaxed again. “So do you own the house LJ?” This question made the raven laugh a bit, the sound like rusted bells attempting and failing to chime, yet it was very beautiful in its own way. “Goodness no! I just live here. The owner of the house is a bit of a wanderer, so we don’t see him often.” Sully snorted a bit, swallowing a bit of his own sandwich, “You mean he gets hopelessly lost a lot.” Again LJ laughed, this time it was infectious and Martin joined in for a time before he was overwhelmed by violent coughs. Sully rubbed Marty’s back as the teen doubled over, hands to his mouth, trying to stop. 

He could taste copper, felt something hot and sticky dipping down his chin, knew before he pulled back his hands with a wheezing breath that he would find blood. The sight made him feel dizzy, his body swaying dangerously on the stool, but Sully was quick to wrap an arm around his shoulders to prevent him from falling. Next thing he knew a glass of water was being pressed to his lips, he drank slowly. The cool liquid soothing the last of the urge to cough and clearing away some of the blood in his throat, he still wheezed a bit, but felt a lot better. Jack passed him a wet towel to clean off his hands and face, “It’s old blood, don’t worry. EJ said you might expel some, but your lung’s already stopped taking in blood so the internal wounds are closed enough.” He said, whither to ease Martin’s mind or his was a great question.

As it was the teen offered a weak smile, mumbling a thank you. Another, more important question plagued him though and he looked away before asking, “How long am I allowed to stay here…? Sorry, I hate being a burden but I don’t have any place to go yet.”

“You’re welcome here as long as you need Cinnamon. So try not to worry about it.” LJ replied after a moment, the expression in his white eyes gentle and understanding. After eating the rest of his sandwich and one more after the clown and Sully insisted, Martin headed up to his room. LJ told him it was his, he could do what he liked with it and it was his home if he needed and wanted it. The redhead felt relieved at this news, overjoyed. But he tried to contain his thrill, worry damping his joy. What if he did become a burden? Or annoyed them? Or ate too much of their food?

He fell into a fitful sleep. His dreams plagued by glasgow smiles and burn scared pale hands, mind wondering about the raven who had saved him.


	5. First Blood

Martin was seated on his bed, staring at the wall across from him next to the door. For the fifth time that morning Sully appeared to check on him. Everyday the past week he did this, from the time he woke up to the time Marty went to bed.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes.”

“Need anything?”

“No.”

And every time it would repeat similarly. The redhead sighed when the door opened this time, looking over at Sully tiredly. “Feeling okay?” He asked, to which he received another sigh from the teen. Martin pinched the bridge of his nose, “I’m fine Sully...I just have a headache and-”

“I’ll go get you something!” Sully cut the other off and vanished. The teen groaned, standing up. He was wearing shorts again, another loose t-shirt, though this one fit a bit better than the band-t which he had taken to sleeping in. He walked down the stairs, reaching the last step as Sully appeared, holding a cup of water and some pills. “Here we go-”

“I don’t want them.” Marty said flatly, stepping around the taller man, looking uncomfortable. “Come on, they’ll help.” The brunette insisted, the teen trying to walk away into the living room where LJ appeared to be watching the news on a very old TV. Sully tried again, “Martin, please? They’ll ease the pain, just take them. It’s only a couple pills.”

The teen froze a moment, those words seeming to trigger something in his mind and he was lost a moment. Sully didn’t seem to register this and attempted to hand him the medication, but the moment he put the pills in Martin’s hand the redhead freaked out. He tossed the stuff and took several steps back, “No! I said no!” He shouted, shaking a bit. LJ was standing now, clearly worried. “Cinnamon...calm down. It’s okay…” He said gently, moving closer. But the teen shook his head, “Leave me alone…” He said weakly, pushing past Sully and rushing out the front door, the brunette trying to stop him but LJ put a hand on his shoulder.

“Let him calm down. Your crowding him too much…”  
Martin kept going till he reached the cemetery, panting heavily as he leaned against a mausoleum. His chest hurt, but it was getting better so he didn’t worry as much. The redhead sighed, feeling terrible for yelling at his friends. They were only trying to help. But he felt overwhelmed. The teen took a deep breath, he just needed some space and then he would go back._ ‘It’s not like I have anywhere else to go…’_ He thought mournfully as he walked around the cemetery, pausing when he spotted movement. That single green eye spotting someone standing near the edge of the graveyard, hands in his pockets, wearing black pants and a stark white coat. “You…” He mumbled to himself as he recognized the raven, those blue eyes lifting to meet his gaze with that familiar Glasgow smile.

The redhead walked over, so many things on the tip of his tongue but all of them seemed stuck. The raven smirked a little beyond that scared expression, or at least Marty assumed he was, “Hey, your looking less like a drowned rat. Feeling better?” He asked, shrugging off the tree he had been leaning on to walk closer. Martin looked away, shrugging a bit, “I guess...physically I’m better anyway, that’s what counts.”

“That’s not all that counts.” The raven replied in a somewhat dark voice, his expression twisting to one nearly of anger. What was he mad about? Marty watched him, saying nothing. What could he say? The teen almost jumped out of his skin when there was cool white hand pushing his hair out of his face, his expression turning to one of heartbreak and fear. It was only a second before he slapped the others hand away and pulled his hair back in place, “Don’t.” He grit out, the silence dragging now.

The raven seemed to be studying him, “Not so bad, at least you didn’t get set on fire.” The redhead looked up in surprise, “You got set on fire?!” He asked in alarm, unable to imagine that terror. The elder boy grinned at him, leaning down so their faces were inches apart, “Yup! And ain’t I just a beautiful bastard? I’m always smiling!” Martin wasn’t sure how to answer, the seconds stretched and just before the other straightened up the younger smiled softly. “Yeah...you are. Truly.” He replied, the raven looking surprised for half a second before he recovered and put on that smile again. The raven started to walk away, but again he was stopped by Martin saying something he wasn’t expecting. “Thank you…”

“What?” The raven turned back, eyeing the redhead with confusion. Marty offered him a smile that could have melted the coldest heart, “For saving me. Only a truly beautiful person would have done that.” The elder seemed unable to respond, his expression unreadable. A frown marred his face a moment, turning serious, “You know what?” Martin blinked and tilted his head expectantly, “You should put them to sleep.”

The redhead frowned now, confused himself, “What?” The elder pulled a knife from behind him, no doubt having had it tucked in his belt, he wiggled it in front of him with a meaningful expression. Martin’s eyes went wide and he made an ‘oh’ with his mouth, before frowning, pacing around a bit. “Yeah...but...Their all way stronger than me, they’ll beat me up or worse, finish what they started!” He pointed out, wrapping his arms around himself a bit, looking at the ground. It was quiet a moment, before the raven spoke, “And giving up without trying is just as bad.” He replied in a gruff way, growling in irritation. Again Martin wasn’t sure why he was mad. “Tell you what...How about I show you how it’s done? You want them to pay right? Instead of getting away with it?”

Marty thought hard about it, sure he wanted justice, but killing? Wasn’t that too much? _‘Then again they would have killed me had they had the chance…’_ When he looked up the raven was walking away, his heart leapt and he rushed after him. “Alright! I-I want to learn...help me, please?!”

The raven smiled at him, the look a bit wild, “Follow me.”

And Martin did. It must have been an hour walk, the sun long gone and the world dark and chilled. When they first reached the edge of the forest the teen recognized his own neighborhood, the lights of his own home before him. “This is...my house…” He mumbled, he could hear his mother and stepfather laughing and his heart clenched a bit. “Don’t they care...at all?” A hand on his shoulder stopped him, he hadn’t even realized till then he was moving toward the house. His green eye looked up at the raven, “We’ll deal with them later...when their more drunk.” The smaller man nodded slowly and looked away from the house, “Maybe we can slip in an I can get my shoes and a few things…”

“That’s the spirit.” The elder said in that gruff, damaged voice like burnt velvet. He lead Marty back to the tree line, taking him several blocks to another house. He didn’t recognize the house, but he did recognize the girl in the upstairs window. “Olivia…” He mumbled, something inside seeming to develop cracks.

The raven said nothing, but his blue eyes watched the redhead a moment. He could feel the dam holding back the younger mans anger beginning to break, it wouldn’t take much to bring it down. He smirked, “Stay here, I’ll set it up for you.” He pressed his knife into Martin’s hand before slipping off, making his way up to the house. Gaining entry was easy enough, the backdoor was open for god sakes. The people in this town never changed, thanks to the police covering up every murder that he ever committed it was too easy to keep committing them. He slipped up to the second floor.

Martin stood just behind a tree, peeking out. The elder man had vanished from his view so he turned his eye to the girl on her phone in the upstairs window, he couldn’t hear her, but he could see she was smiling. He watched with baited breath as her expression turned and she whirled to face her door just before it was forced open, now he could hear her. She was shouting. He watched the raven terrorize her a moment, allow her to run past him and watched as she stupidly ran out the back door.

Martin felt the world slow down in his mind as he realized she was coming right for him and he had a small mental debate about the morality of the situation. The decent part of him knew that the right thing to do would be to save her, to guide her to a safe place and find help. That she might be grateful enough to be nicer to him.

However…

Behind the fractured dam his anger and pain stirred like an animal trying to break from its cage, screaming for actual justice. It reminded him that even if he helped her she would not admit to her crimes, that he would still be carted off to Hallow Springs. Likely for the rest of his life.

The fracture turned into a fissure...and then a hole.

And if she wasn’t grateful in the end she might turn on him and go after his other eye. She might make an attempt on his life next. He should defend himself. He should make a preemptive strike to keep anything bad from happening to himself.

Martin stuck his foot out, tripping the raven girl as she had tried to run past. His green eye watching as she tumbled to the ground hard, getting splattered in mud and grime, her normally perfect hair and makeup ruined. The redhead took a few steps toward her as she rolled over, terror in her eyes that briefly became hope when she saw Martin. “Mary?! I-I mean Marty! Y-you gotta help me, there's a psycho after me!” She told him, crawling closer and grabbing at his legs and shirt hem, seeming to think he was willing to help. He heard, rather than saw the raven come up near him since it was on his blind side.

Olivia shook, trying to put Martin between herself and the raven. “But...Olivia...He was just delivering my note. And, well, you must have read it since you came here.” The redhead told her, a smile curving his face slowly as she realized her mistake. The raven girl started to sob, crawling backward, “Was this not what you expected?” He asked her as he walked after her, putting his foot down on her leg and hold her there. “Interesting fact...Most human bones can withstand the pressure of several trucks. However, depending on the bone, where its located, and the angle at which pressure is applied-” He struck his heel down sharply at a fifty degree angle, hearing a satisfying snap as Olivia started screaming in agony. “You can cut that down a lot. Amazing, right? My mother was an expert at breaking bones and making them look like accidents when I was young.”

Martin laughed a little as he watched the girl whimpering and trying to crawl away from him, “Now, my step-father doesn’t hold a candle flame to my mothers records, but, hey, he’s tried.” He didn’t see the look the raven man behind him was giving, but if he had his heart might have leapt in surprise at the pitty in those blue eyes. Martin lifted the knife he’d been given, “Now then, lets finish this little game of cat and mouse, shall we? Don’t worry Olivia…” He pinned her with his body, sitting on her chest and leaning down, “I won’t make you suffer with the scars like you’ve done me. I’ll spare you that much…” He whispered in her ear as he plunged the knife into her stomach, yanking it out and repeating a few times with building laughter.

The teen sat back, looking down at the girl dying under him, “Your eyes are sort of pretty Olivia...seems a shame to leave them to rot in that already rotten skull of yours. Maybe I can preserve them?” Humming, the teen reached down, one hand gripping matted black hair, the other digging the eye from the girls skull as she gurgled her last screams of pain. Olivia took a last shuddering breath as Martin sat back again, holding a pair of dark brown eyes with flecks of green in them.

The raven man behind him kept an ear out, making sure no one was coming or around so see this. But it didn’t surprise him to know that they were alone. “Ready to go?” He asked after Martin fell quiet awhile. The redhead put the eyes in his pocket, plucking the knife from the girls body. “Do you think…”

The raven paused from turning to walk away, looking back at the redhead who was staring at the dead girl. He wasn’t able to see Martin’s expression since he was still on his blind side. “What….?”

“Do you think if I was skinnier...better looking...they would have left me alone?”

The elder grit his teeth against the rage he felt flood him, remembering his mother and how she abused him for his appearance. Taking a deep breath he walked over to Martin and gripped his chin, maybe a little rough, but for him it was gentle, to force the younger to meet his gaze. “Your appearance has nothing to do with how these bastards treated you. Don’t let anyone tell you that your not beautiful Martin.”

The teen was struck silent, unsure how to respond to those words. His mouth open a little as he tried to find the words, the other man started off before he finally got something out. “I never told you my name…” The raven stiffened and stopped, not turning, not offering an explanation. “You never actually told me your name either.” Martin went on to say, slowly walking closer to the raven.

“I told you to ask my brother.” Was the hollow answer he received and the redhead shifted a bit where he stood, a little smile on his face. “Your the one who returned my shoes aren’t you…?”

He got no answer to this, but felt he wasn’t wrong. “Okay...what now?” Martin chose to let things go for now, he could ask more later. Maybe the raven didn’t fully trust him yet and he was okay with that for now. It wasn’t as if he trusted this man with everything just yet.

Martin was lead to another house, this time the raven motioned for him to follow him up to a window, peeking in he saw William and Marsha on the couch making out. Somewhere in the back of his mind he wondered if Olivia had known her boyfriend was cheating on her with her best friend. “Alright, let's see if you can handle this one on your own, huh?” The redhead swallowed thickly and nodded, taking the knife firmly in his grip. He checked the backdoor as quietly as he could, it was locked. Smart. But he spotted a window that was partly open and smirked, climbing through after pushing it open further he slipped to the floor in the kitchen.

He shuddered at the sounds of moaning from the living area, silent as he could, he opened the back door so he would have an easy escape if he needed. It only partly surprised him when the raven came in, hands in his pockets, leaning against the counter out of sight of the door to the next room so he could observe a bit. Martin was nervous about this. Olivia had been easy to take down, given she had been put in his path and all alone. There was two this time and one was far larger and stronger than him, he had to play this smart. The redhead looked around them, trying to figure out how to separate them, lure William to him. The idea came in the form of a glass on the counter, smirking to himself as he pushed it off to the floor. The loud crash made the other two teens jump, Marsha mumbling worriedly about ghosts or some such nonsense. And just as the redhead had hoped Will agreed to go check it out. The football player entered the dark kitchen, crossing the way toward the light. Seeing neither the raven or Marty who was crouched near the floor in waiting, the smaller teen striking out with the knife and nailing William in the thigh. The other teen screamed out in pain and hitting the ground hard, no doubt getting cut up by the glass on the floor. Marsha was freaking out in the living room, calling out in concern for the boy on the floor who was cursing and gripping at his leg.

Martin was quick to grab another knife from the counter, leaping over William and almost tripping, his shoulder slamming into the doorway as he rushed after Marsha who was going for the nearest phone. He grabbed a handful of brown hair and yanked her back, throwing her back onto the couch and holding the knife toward her threateningly. She immediately started blubbering and begging for her life.

A wicked smiled curved up the corners of the redhead’s mouth, “What’s wrong Marsha? Didn’t expect to see my slimy eyes again did you?” He chuckled as he moved closer, easily pinning her against the couch. “I-I’ll do whatever you want! Please don’t hurt me!” She sobbed as she tried to push him off and he grabbed her wrist in a rough grip, her other hand trying to shield her face. The teen thought about it a moment, leaning into her ear, “Unless you can turn back time...Nothing is going to save you.” She cried harder before the cries got cut off by a choking sound when he plunged the knife into her gut. Martin stood up, pulling out the knife after and staring down at her.

He stabbed her again, leaving the knife in her chest while he removed her eyes by hand like he had Olivia’s. Putting his trophies in his pocket, he went back to the kitchen, very aware of the raven watching him all the while. Aware of the pleased smile on his lips that sent a thrill through the redhead’s body that he couldn’t explain.

After finishing off William they left the scene, heading back into the woods and toward the cemetery. Marty glanced back a few times, “I’m surprised the cops didn’t hear all the screaming…” The raven chuckled at his words, but gave no explanation as to why it was funny. When they reached the graveyard they stopped, the moon lighting the area in a lovely, eerie way. “Later…”

The taller of the two started away and Martin watched him a few minutes, “Thank you…” He watched the man pause, turn his head halfway, seeming to hesitate. “Say...uh…” The taller turned more fully toward the teen, “You wanna hang out tomorrow?” The redhead lite up at the invitation, a smile tugging on his lips, a real and genuine smile. “Sure! Urm…” He flushed and cleared his throat, trying to play it cool, “Where do you want to meet?”

“The park, back side of it, there's a really old bench on the trail out there. Meet me at like...ten?”

“I’ll be there.”


End file.
